And in the first big free agent signing of the summer… nothing happened.

Joe Johnson will remain a Hawk and accept their max-deal offer (six years, $124.5 million), according to Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports. Not a shock there. Johnson’s people had been saying for weeks that ultimately he wanted to stay in Atlanta — not just because of Daddy Dz Barbecue — and if they made the offer, he would take it.

Atlanta may well come to regret this offer — they just paid a good player superstar money, they just paid a perimeter player big money until he was 34. The fifth and sixth years of this deal it could be a burden. A franchise with an estimated net worth of $306 million just agreed to a $124 million deal. But they got their man.

The Knicks also met with Johnson and made a max deal offer, but it is for five years and about $27 million less. Johnson was a guy the Knicks and a number of other teams has as their second tier targets. But Johnson was among the many free agents leery of going to New York if LeBron doesn’t go there. Do you want to be the guy expected to be the savior of that franchise right now? Do you want to have to live up to those expectations? It’s a lot to ask.

Houston, Dallas and Chicago also were trying to get meetings with Johnson, but that may all be moot now.

the Wizards have shown little appetite for dealing Otto Porter anywhere for a return heavy on future assets and cap flexibility, sources say

John Wall‘s massive contract looked barely movable even before he underwent season-ending surgery. Washington seems unwilling to take a step back by trading star Bradley Beal.

So, that leaves unloading Porter – who’s earning $26,011,913 this year and due $55,739,815 over the next two seasons – as the obvious way to create cap flexibility and accumulate future assets. If the Wizards are unwilling to do that, it speaks volumes to their plan.

They don’t want to rebuild. They want to win now. Porter can help them do that.

In many ways, it’s noble Washington is so committed to winning, even at great expense. That’s generally what we want from teams. We don’t want them to give up or cut costs just because they’re a couple games out of playoff position midway through the season.

But the Wizards’ spending has been… uneven. Leonsis greenlit a payroll well into the luxury tax and is apparently willing to keep Porter, which likely keeps that payroll high. Yet, Washington is also holding as many roster spots vacant as allowed, offering small savings rather than adding depth amid multiple injuries.

Maybe the Wizards just don’t believe they could sign minimum-salary players who’d actually help. But insurance never hurts on the court.

So, Washington is left looking content holding its few major contracts, nickeling-and-diming down the roster, winning a barely moderate amount and not gaining better position for the future. I’m unconvinced that’s a worthy vision, but if that’s what the Wizards want, keeping Porter helps stay that course.

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing an opponent in an attempt to escalate a physical altercation and failing to leave the court in a timely manner following his ejection, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident, which took place after Smart was assessed his second technical foul and was ejected, occurred with 7:35 remaining in the third quarter of the Celtics’ 113-105 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 19

Smart was seemingly near the line between this fine and a suspension. He’s fortunate to land on the side he did.